David Gilmour - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Live At Pompeii)

Truth

 

Christian D. Larson

Promise Yourself to be so strong that nothing

can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity

to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel

that there is something in them

To look at the sunny side of everything

and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,

and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others

as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past

and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times

and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,

and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,

not in loud words but great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on your side

so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

~Christian D. Larson

Book: Your Forces and How to Use

Art: Painting by Karen Offutt

Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

Henry Miller

To be silent the whole day long, see no newspaper, hear no radio, listen to no gossip, be thoroughly and completely lazy, thoroughly and completely indifferent to the fate of the world is the finest medicine a man can give himself. The body becomes a new and wonderful instrument; you look at plants or stones or fish with different eyes; you wonder what people are struggling to accomplish by their frenzied activities. We need peace and solitude and idleness. If we could all go on strike and honestly disavow all interest in what our neighbor is doing we might get a new lease of life. We might learn to do without telephones and radios and newspapers, without machines of any kind, without factories, without mills, without mines, without explosives, without battleships, without politicians, without lawyers, without canned goods, without gadgets, without razor blades even or cellophane or cigarettes or money. This is a pipe dream, I know. People only go on strike for better working conditions, better wages, better opportunities to become something other than they are. ~Henry Miller

Book: The Colossus of Maroussi

Art: 'The Swinger', 1968 by Andrew Wyeth

Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

Sad Girl

Voice of Nature

Lord Lead Me On

TAKE THEM WITH YOU

 

TAKE THEM WITH YOU

If someone you love

did not make it on that trip

you can take it

for them

with them.

If someone you love

did not witness that milestone

you can show them

anytime you like.

If someone you love

did not get to do their living

you can finish those dreams

on their behalf.

The beautiful thing about love

you see

is that death

need not stop life.

If you carry someone

in your heart

you can take them with you

anywhere you like.

Donna Ashworth

From ‘LOSS’

Art by Shawna Erback

Learn From This Story

One day, a rich kid was walking with his dad when he saw an old legless beggar on the street, begging for alms. The boy stopped his dad immediately and walked up to the disabled beggar.

"Hey sir, can I ask you a question?" he asked him.

"Yes you can" the old man replied.

Then the boy said.

"What happened to your legs? Why are they missing?"

A look of shame showed on the dad's face as he whispered into his son's ears.

"Hey, you should never ask people inappropriate questions"

The old man heard it. He paused for a moment, then said to the little boy.

"Can I tell you a short story?"

The boy nodded his head. Then old man said.

"It's a true story about a young boy, and you should pay keen attention"

"Okay"

The old man started speaking.

"There was a boy who had a donkey he loved so much. He called him Banjo, and he was his best companion. One day, he went to bathe in the river and had taken the donkey with him for a bath. Unfortunately, a huge crocodile suddenly leaped out of the water and grabbed the donkey, dragging him deep in the water. The boy couldn't save his donkey. He screamed so hard as he watched poor Banjo being killed. He became so angry like a volcano. Burning with anger, he must wreak vengeance, so he jumped into the river to fight the ferocious crocodile. But it didn't turn out good as another crocodile attacked the boy and started devouring him... The end"

Having listened to the story, the kid wagged his head, then asked.

"So, what happened to the boy afterwards? Or was he also killed?"

The old man paused for a moment, then said.

"Over the years, that boy has grown into an old man and he is now me. I just told you a story about myself, thereby answering your question. I survived but lost both legs from the incident"

Both the father and son were marveled. Then the old beggar concluded.

"My story has a powerful lesson about anger and revenge, you should take away. You should learn to control your anger, or else you would be pushed to inflict vengeance, which would not only hurt others, but also yourself. I was so angry and desperate, I wanted that revenge so bad that I didn't realize how stupid I was. Anger can make you take stupid actions that you would live forever to regret. You see, if I had controlled my anger and walked home after the crocodile ate my donkey, I wouldn't be the 'legless beggar' you see today. It's important you learn to forgive those who hurt you, and move on with your life. Not because they deserve it, but because you deserve peace.

Author: Chima_Dickson Official

Source: Facebook - Fifty Shades of Life

Madison Organic Groove

The video below was published to Facebook with request to share. 

I'm really excited to post this video that is a collaboration with a lot of talented people! Thanks everyone and please share this as we're trying to build interest for some live shows that will be charity fundraisers.

Facebook - Rick Bennett

Lightly child, lightly.

It’s dark because you are trying too hard.

Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly.

Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply.

Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.

I was so preposterously serious in those days, such a humorless little prig.

Lightly, lightly – it’s the best advice ever given me.

When it comes to dying even. Nothing ponderous, or portentous, or emphatic.

No rhetoric, no tremolos,

no self conscious persona putting on its celebrated imitation of Christ or Little Nell.

And of course, no theology, no metaphysics.

Just the fact of dying and the fact of the clear light.

So throw away your baggage and go forward.

There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet,

trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair.

That’s why you must walk so lightly.

Lightly my darling,

on tiptoes and no luggage,

not even a sponge bag,

completely unencumbered.

~Aldous Huxley

Book: Island

Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

 

Peace of Mind by the Waterfall - Native American Flute Music - Music for...

Jacob and Josephina

The image depicts two graves located in separate graveyards in Roermond, Netherlands, dating back to 1880. The reason for this separation is that Jacob Werners Constantinus van Gorcum, the husband, was a Protestant, while Lady Josephina Carolina Petronella Hubertina van Aefferden, the wife, was a Catholic. Consequently, religious differences prevented them from being buried in the same cemetery.

Jacob and Josephina tied the knot in 1842 when Jacob was 33 years old and Josephina was 22. The couple enjoyed a marital union that spanned 38 years. Following Jacob's demise in 1880, he was interred adjacent to a wall. Upon Josephina's passing in 1888, she expressed her wish to be laid to rest not in her family's burial site but alongside her husband, adjacent to the same wall. Their individual headstones serve as a poignant testament to their enduring love and shared destiny.

Source: Facebook

Lord Lead Me On

Just walking each other home

I tell myself I am searching for something. But more and more, it feels like I am wandering, waiting for something to happen to me, something that will change everything, something that my whole life has been leading up to. In my heart, I know that this is not true. Life is not leading up to anything, nor are we headed anywhere in particular.

We are just wandering, circling around each other, we are all, in the end, just walking each other home.

~Khaled Hosseini

Book: And the Mountains Echoed

Art: Photograph by Saul Leiter

Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

Life will break you...

Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and being alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes too near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself that you tasted as many as you could.

~Louise Erdrich

From the Book: The Painted Drum

Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

Your Accent is Thick

I was a very young child when I moved from Southeastern Kentucky. I had a very, very heavy accent and still remember getting made fun of after all these years. I no longer have an accent, or at least not so easily detectable, but the last time I went home it came back with a vengeance. I saw the post below on Facebook today and it opened up all those memories.

One foot in front of the other

Although I haven’t walked in your shoes,

you can be sure the leather on mine is thin in places too.

And there have been times for every single one of us

when we've put one foot in front of the other

on a very thin thread of hope.

That’s why we need good people

and positive messages around us –

to encourage us through those more difficult times.

And the truth is we take turns giving and receiving –

that’s how life works best.

Source: Facebook - Welcome Home

her

her

once upon a time
before the shame
and the sin
you were a cartwheel
hair flying
in full tumble
throwing yourself
with mad delight
into the arms of
wind and spirit
once upon a time
before the shame
and the sin
you were a starkeeper
your wishes alone
kept the stars aloft
in a velvet sky
of invitation and belonging
you knew the sylvan
truth of fireflies
and trailed their
golden lantern path
over silvered meadow
into to the lullaby
of fairyland
the moon was a
grandmother from a tale
you still remembered
watching over your every move
Look! you said. Look!
everywhere we go
the moon follows us
all the way home
once upon a time
before the shame
and the sin
acorns were goblin hats
trees were secret keepers
clouds were sky puppets
butterflies and honey bees
were emissaries of otherwhere
guarding the old stories
adults had already forgotten
to remember
once upon a time
before the shame
and the sin
you danced through
the world like it was
your back yard
elbows made of frolic
knees made of wonder
fingers and toes a whirl
of color and possibility
your mind was full of
Neverland
and your heart was full
of Oz
your body was still
a playground
and a confidant
and a friend
remember her?
she got lost somewhere
between the shame
and the sin
cartwheel smile
moonbeam soul
fairy tale girl
in love with
her own life
in love with you
bawdy and soul
she’s still in you
daring, brazen
wild with
possibility
let’s
go
get
her

Poem by Angi Sullins · Art by Catrin Welz-Stein

Depression

How to cope with depression

Try these coping strategies if you're feeling depressed.

Stay in touch

Don't withdraw from life. Socialising can improve your mood. Keeping in touch with friends and family means you have someone to talk to when you feel low.  

Be more active

Take up some form of exercise. There's evidence that exercise can help lift your mood. If you haven't exercised for a while, start gently by walking for 20 minutes every day. 

Read about exercise for depression.

Face your fears

Don't avoid the things you find difficult. When people feel low or anxious, they sometimes avoid talking to other people. Some people can lose their confidence in going out, driving or travelling.

If this starts to happen, facing up to these situations will help them become easier.

Don't drink too much alcohol

For some people, alcohol can become a problem. You may drink more than usual as a way of coping with or hiding your emotions, or just to fill time. But alcohol won't help you solve your problems and could also make you feel more depressed.

Read some tips on cutting down on alcohol.

Try to eat a healthy diet

Some people don't feel like eating when they're depressed and are at risk of becoming underweight. Others find comfort in food and can put on excess weight.

Antidepressants can also affect your appetite.

If you're concerned about weight loss, weight gain or how antidepressants are affecting your appetite, talk to your GP.

See tips on how to eat more healthily.

Have a routine

When people feel down, they can get into poor sleep patterns, staying up late and sleeping during the day. Try to get up at your normal time and stick to your routine as much as possible.

Not having a routine can affect your eating. Try to carry on cooking and eating regular meals.

Source: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/cope-with-depression/

In God’s Hands The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 READ 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28 Turning eighteen ushered in a new era in my daughter’s life: legally an adult, she now had the right to vote in future elections and would soon embark on life after graduating from high school. This shift had instilled in me a sense of urgency—I would have precious little time with her under my roof to impart to her the wisdom she’d need to face the world on her own: how to manage finances, stay alert to world issues, and make sound decisions. My sense of duty to equip my daughter to handle her life was understandable. After all, I loved her and desired for her to flourish. But I realized that while I had an important role, it wasn’t solely—or even primarily—my job. In Paul’s words to the Thessalonians—a group of people he considered his children in the faith because he’d taught them about Jesus—he urged them to help one another (1 Thessalonians 5:14–15), but ultimately he trusted their growth to God. He acknowledged that God would “sanctify [them] through and through” (v. 23). Paul trusted God to do what he couldn’t: prepare them—“spirit, soul and body”—for the eventual return of Jesus (v. 23). Though his letters to the Thessalonians contained instructions, his trust in God for their well-being and preparedness teaches us that growth in the lives of those we care for is ultimately in His hands (1 Corinthians 3:6). By Kirsten Holmberg REFLECT & PRAY How have you observed God helping you to grow in Him? Whose growth do you need to entrust to Him? Father, thank You for being the initiator and finisher of my spiritual growth. Please help me to trust You for that good work. For further study, read Heart, Soul, and Mind: Raising Kids to Know and Love God.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT The church at Thessalonica was one that benefited from Paul’s personal ministry. Thessalonica was a major city made up primarily of local Greeks and transplanted Romans. There was also a substantial enough Jewish population to necessitate and support a synagogue there (Acts 17:1). As was often his practice, Paul began his gospel ministry in the synagogue—proclaiming Jesus as the promised Messiah (vv. 3–4). Those who responded in faith formed the nucleus of the new church family, apparently meeting in the home of a local man named Jason (vv. 5, 7). Opposition from some of the local Jewish population forced the apostle to leave Thessalonica and make his way from there to Berea and ultimately to Athens. Bill Crowder Source: Our Daily Bread email June 1, 2023

A couple of lessons I learnt

A couple of lessons I learnt the past year..

Never let the opportunity pass to tell someone you love them.

Your well-being – physical, spiritual and mental – is always priority number 1, 2 and 3.

Buy those earrings, you will find an outfit to wear them with.

Live with an open-door policy. When people want to come into your life, let them. When they want to walk out of your life, let them.

Your smile is more beautiful than any make-up you could be wearing.

People always remember how you made them feel.

Healthy = lengthy. In relationships and friendships.

Remember to buy yourself flowers.

An air-fryer is really as cool as the lady says on tv.

Write down your passwords. Even if you tell yourself you will remember.

Anyone who makes you cry tears of hurt do not have your well-being in their hearts.

My time is not God’s time.

It’s okay to be an introvert, do not however use this as an excuse to become a recluse.

There are people who honestly love unconditionally, allow them to.

If a heart is ugly, that person is ugly and make-up and branded clothes cannot cover it up.

When someone gives you a hug, don’t let go first.

It’s fun to jump into a rain puddle or two now and again.

Dance. A lot. You can apply plasters later.

Get up when you shake someone’s hand.

Learn to travel by yourself.

Never be afraid to talk to the prettiest person in the room.

You can cry. All you want. Just never, ever give up.

When you go somewhere, drive yourself. You are in control of when you leave.

Eye contact shows respect. Don’t look all over when someone talks to you.

“No.” is a full sentence. You don’t have to explain.

The golden line between your heart and your brain is called intuition. Use it.

Fall in love more. People, food, animals, music, landscapes, moments. Just fall in love more.

To have an afternoon nap is not a weakness. It’s re-charge.

Closure is a choice.

When someone tells you a sunrise is a cliché, go watch it without them next time.

Everything will be okay. Even if it takes longer than you want it to.

Still learning on a daily basis..

Luzette

Source: Facebook - Welcome Home

Unexpected Joy

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,

don't hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty

of lives and whole towns destroyed or about

to be. We are not wise, and not very often

kind. And much can never be redeemed.

Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this

is its way of fighting back, that sometimes

something happens better than all the riches

or power in the world. It could be anything,

but very likely you notice it in the instant

when love begins. Anyway, that's often the

case. Anyway, whatever it is, don't be afraid

of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

~Mary Oliver

Book: Swan: Poems and Prose Poems

Facebook - Philo Thoughts

Pic - pixabay

The Angel of Grief Weeping Over the Dismantled Altar of Life

 

Angel of Grief or the Weeping Angel is an 1894 sculpture by William Wetmore Story for the grave of his wife Emelyn Story at the Protestant Cemetery in Rome. Its full title bestowed by the creator was The Angel of Grief Weeping Over the Dismantled Altar of Life.

This was Story's last major work prior to his death, dying a year after his wife. The statue's creation was documented in an 1896 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine: according to this account, his wife's death so devastated Story that he lost interest in sculpture, but was inspired to create the monument by his children, who recommended it as a means of memorializing the woman. Unlike the typical angelic grave art, "this dramatic life-size winged figure speaks more of the pain of those left behind" by appearing "collapsed, weeping and draped over the tomb".

The term is now used to describe multiple grave stones throughout the world erected in the style of the Story stone. A feature in The Guardian called the design "one of the most copied images in the world". Story himself wrote that "It represents the angel of Grief, in utter abandonment, throwing herself with drooping wings and hidden face over a funeral altar. It represents what I feel. It represents Prostration. Yet to do it helps me."

Prominent replicas of the Angel of Grief sculpture include the Henry Lathrop monument, located in the Stanford University Arboretum. Lathrop was the brother of Jane Stanford, the co-founder of the university. The original replica was built in 1901, but was severely damaged in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, leading to its replacement in 1908. After years of neglect, the 1908 replacement was fully restored in 2001. Another example is the Cassard angel, erected around 1908 in the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

The image has also been used in popular culture, such as in an album covers for The Tea Party's The Edges of Twilight (1995), Evanescence’s EP (1998) and Nightwish's Once (2004), the singles cover of Lenny Kravitz song Calling All Angels, and in the 2012 film The Woman in Black. 

Source: Wikipedia

Have friends...

Have friends in your life who aren’t too proud to

pray for you

cry with or for you

hope for you

ask God to heal and watch over you.

Those are friends that are real..

Source: Facebook - Welcome Home

West with the Night - Beryl Markham

I have learned that if you must leave a place that you have lived in and loved and where all your yesteryears are buried deep, leave it any way except a slow way, leave it the fastest way you can. Never turn back and never believe that an hour you remember is a better hour because it is dead. Passed years seem safe ones, vanquished ones, while the future lives in a cloud, formidable from a distance. The cloud clears as you enter it. I have learned this, but like everyone, I learned it late. ~Beryl Markham

Book: West with the Night

Source: Facebook - Philo Thoughts

AFTER A WHILE

After a while you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats

With your head up and your eyes open

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today

Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans

And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn…

That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure…

That you really are strong

And you really do have worth…

And you learn and learn…

With every good-bye you learn.

After a While was written by Jorge Luis Borges. later Veronica Shoffstall added a stanza and copyrighted the poem.